The Top 10 Sponsors in eSports

When you think of e-sports, the first thing you think of is likely not the sponsors. Many of these sponsors, though, have a big impact on e-sports and the gaming community in general. As the competitive gaming community becomes larger, it is important to pay attention to the brands that are having the most influence on the community at large. Here are ten of the biggest e-sport sponsors.

IGN

This should not be a big surprise. IGN has been a staple of gaming reporting, community building, and sponsorship for a long time. Furthermore, they are sponsoring teams, leagues, and they are one of the biggest supporters for competitive gaming going mainstream. If you have seen e-sports on the television or in a stream lately, IGN might have had something to do with that.

Twitch

So you have probably heard of Twitch. They are a massive streaming giant that focuses mostly on gaming streams. Maybe you just know them from “Twitch Plays Pokemon,” but no matter how you know them, they are a huge player in the e-sports world. Not only are they the platform that you likely use to watch e-sports online, they are sponsoring the competitions too.

Gamestop

This is also likely not a surprise. It is in Gamestop’s best interest to see gaming get a larger following as they are the retailer that many gamers go to to buy their games, systems, and accessories.

Nerdist

Chris Hardwick founded this online media network, and it has grown to a huge group that serves many purposes. Nerdist has shows, podcasts, and writing on movies, television, gaming and much more. Now, though, Nerdist is a big sponsor for competitive gaming too.

YouTube

Perhaps they are trying to compete with Twitch, but YouTube is also a big sponsor of competitive gaming. YouTube has been slowly improving their streaming services over the years, and they are interested in increasing the amount of interest in e-sports too. More streamed e-sports means more opportunities for YouTube to get more viewers and users.

Google

Yes, listing Google and YouTube both in this list might seem redundant, but it is worth noting that Google is also sponsoring e-sports on their own too. Google is a huge company with a lot of power to direct people’s attention to different locations and sites. Furthermore, they have a lot of money, and that is particularly intriguing to the quickly growing competitive gaming community that is seeking ways to fund themselves.

Microsoft and Sony

Specifically the Playstation and Xbox division of both of these companies have done a lot to support the competitive gaming community. They have sponsored individual teams, they have sponsored tournaments and leagues, and they have done a lot more too. While neither of their current systems are particularly noted for e-sports (most of the e-sports that are well known and broadcast are played on a PC), it is still in their best interest to see the gaming community grow. After all, if people are interested in the games they see in these competitions, they will be more likely to start playing games (or more games if they already play).

Coca-Cola

Coke has made a big scene in the e-sports community by sponsoring the League of Legends world championship. They even released their newest type of soda there and did so to some acclaim. While it might be stereotypical that gamers would be drinking soda while playing, it is not entirely untrue. After all, when you are deep into a siege or match, you likely want something to sip on that will taste good and give you some energy. Coke is hoping that their brand is what you reach for.

Doritos

Okay, yes, we are getting really stereotypical here. Interestingly, however, this one is completely true. Doritos has made quite the impact on the gaming community through their own contributions and not just through their appearance in various memes. Similar to Coke, Doritios are hoping that they are the snack of choice you reach for while gaming.

Red Bull

Red Bull seems to be sponsoring all of the internet’s favorite things. They already sponsor some awesome extreme stunts that go viral on YouTube, and they always seem to be sponsoring some funny new event, but e-sports is also in that list too. Red Bull gives gamers the energy they need to keep gaming.